Loving you could be the end of me (Shoni Fanfic)

Chapter 4 - Earning forgiveness

TW:// homophobia, mention of sexual abuse. Please don't continue, if you are uncomfortable. I care about everyone's health.❤️

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The girls worked frantically trying to restore Shelby to her usual self. Dot worked to make sure that Shelby was still alive, even though she had flashbacks of her dad dying, which lived in her mind. Leah dug around Jeanette's bag, trying to find any painkillers that she could give to Shelby. Nora performed CPR on Shelby's chest, pushing down with the right pressure, so Shelby could gain air into her lungs again. Martha hugged Rachel, beyond worried and frightened. Fatin had just got back with a Diet Coke in her hands. And Toni... Toni continued to look on, with a blank look in her eyes.

"Toni!" Dot declared, looking at the brunette. "She's going to die, if you don't help! I know that what she said was unforgivable, but we don't want to lose anyone else, and I know you will deeply regret it, if you don't help her!" Dot pleaded with Toni.

Before Toni could reply, a gasp was heard from Shelby. Her eyes slightly opened, but she was able to see the figure in front of her.

"He—y No—ra!" Shelby drunkenly exclaimed, letting out a light chuckle. She looked at the other girls around her.

"Wha—t ar—e y—-ou do—ing?" Shelby asked, confused.

The girls looked at her, with worry in their eyes. Shelby was beyond drunk, and her wrist was deeply cut.

Shelby hissed in pain, from the cut on her stomach. The girls' eyes widened.

"I——t hu—-rts!" Shelby gasped, loudly. Dot attempted to pull up Shelby's shirt slightly, to inspect the wound, but Shelby screamed loudly.

"Pl——ease! Do——n't tou—ch me!" Shelby voiced, screaming.

Dot quickly retracted her hand away, not wanting to hurt Shelby anymore. When she retracted her hand, Shelby began to whimper with her eyes now closed, and began to move around a lot.

The girls looked at each other, with concern and indecisiveness.

"Do—-n't to—-uch me pl—ease!" Shelby cried out.

"Shelby." Dot tries, but Shelby was too stuck in her own head, to hear Dot's voice.

"An—-drew. Ple—-ase st—op!" Shelby called out, making the girls jump.

Toni now, looked up at Shelby with worry in her eyes. She got up from the sand, and made her way to the girls. The girls made way for her, so she could sit next to Shelby.

Toni touched Shelby's cheek with her thumb. Shelby instantly stopped moving. Toni began to rub Shelby's cheek softly with her thumb, in a circular motion.

"Shelby. Open your eyes." Toni huskily demanded.

Shelby's eyes fluttered open, immediately sobering up. She locked eyes with Toni, feeling happy.

"Toni." Shelby stated. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to say those things to you. It was stupid of me, to—"

"Stop." Toni declared. "Let Dot fix you up."

Shelby looked at Toni confused, before feeling pain in her wrist, neck and stomach. She slowly lifted up her shirt, so the girls could look at her wound. Blood was gushing from it, but Shelby couldn't feel a thing. It was like her body was close to shut down.

Leah gave the painkillers to Toni, who looked at her with surprise. Leah motioned towards Shelby, implying that Toni should give her the pills.

"Shelby. You need to take two pills, to relieve some off the pain. Can you do that?" Toni expresses. Shelby nods in response, and then proceeds to sit up. Shelby groans in pain, but is able to sit up successfully. Toni gives her the pills, and the Diet Coke so she could swallow it down.

After Shelby takes the tablets, she proceeds to lie down, feeling her head spin quickly.

"Dot's going to bandage up your wounds, so please comply with her." Shelby nodded, not wanting to annoy Toni.

Toni proceeds to stand up, but Shelby reaches for her arm, stopping that action. Toni looks back at Shelby.

"Please, stay with me." Shelby pleaded, softly. Toni knew she was in a predicament, because she was still angry at Shelby, but she didn't want to see Shelby suffer.

Toni nodded, and sat on the floor again. Dot began to disinfect Shelby's wounds. Shelby hissed in pain, and squeezed Toni's hand. Toni let her squeeze it as hardly as she wanted.

After Dot disinfected the wounds, she then began to bandage Shelby's wrist and stomach, and put a plaster on her neck.

"All done." Dot announced, making Toni stand up. This time, Shelby didn't stop her, because she knew that Toni was still angry at her.

"You should get some rest, Shelby." Fatin voiced, causing the girls and Shelby to agree.

Shelby got up slowly, while groaning in pain. The girls attempted to help her, but she put her hand up, signifying that they helped enough.

Once Shelby was up, she made her way to her place where she sleeps. She laid down on the sand, and put the cover on herself.

The girls just looked at her. No one dared to speak.

"What are we going to do?" Fatin questioned, making the girls shake their heads.

"We don't mention this to Shelby. Whatever happened today, will be left behind and we move on. I can tell that Shelby deeply regretted what she did, so we should go easy on her. We should just forgive her—" Dot explained, but was interrupted.

"Forgive her?! Did you forget what she said to me?! She said to me that losing her virginity to me, was the worst thing that has ever happened to her. She said that she regretted what we did together." Toni angrily expresses.

"I was there, Toni."

"So you know why I can't forgive her! Forgiveness has to be earned!"

"We shouldn't keep grudges on this island. We are free from our life that our parents arranged for us. We were gifted to start a new life, one that isn't influenced with our parents' views or beliefs."

Toni laughs at Dot's comment. "Well, my parents aren't in my life, so no one places any expectations on me. Shelby's decisions are her own. Her parents are not here. So, she only has herself to blame for the choices she makes."

"But Toni, her parents have been continuously infesting her mind with homophobic comments, for so long. It seems her family is quite religious, because they don't really give a fuck about homosexuals. Shelby has complied with her parents' beliefs, because she used to believe that homosexuality is a sin. You have changed her mind, though. This island has changed her mind. She has become more independent and more comfortable with who she is. I know that she has internalised homophobia still, but can't you see that she's trying?" Dot tried to explain.

The girls nodded, agreeing with Dot's perspective, however Toni was not pleased.

"I can't handle this bullshit anymore." Toni walked, until she was a good distance away from the girls and Shelby.

She lay down on the sand, looking at the sky. The sky always calmed her down. Its tranquility made her feel like she was on cloud nine. She closed her eyes, taking in the sounds of nature. She wished things didn't have to be like this, but they were.

The girls took their respective habitats, before drifting off into a deep sleep. Toni just sighed, feeling so conflicted, before drifting off as well.